Steps from the sand at the base of the Santa Monica Pier, this is a Westsider favorite for cold beer and baskets of bar food.

A mixed crowd of taut-bodied inline skaters, thirsty beachcombers and scraggly haired, over-tanned old men from the Chess Park all hang at this Jimmy Buffett-playing bar. People-watchers drink all afternoon at the picnic tables out front, taking in the Bubble Machine Man, hard-core volleyball players, low-riders on the South Beach Bike Trail, and bikini-clad babes. More outdoor tables and booths are located in the back patio, and people can escape the sun inside at the low-set bar and stools. (It's a short fall if someone has one too many.) Patrons get the feeling that there's no rush, and there isn't. Tomorrow the beach, the beer and Big Dean's will still be there. —Mai Dinh